Then his arm was a tight band about my stomach, and he hauled me to his frame.

“Let me go!” I yelled.

“Quiet,” he whispered harshly in my ear.

I started to struggle but stilled when I sensed it.

“Shite,” he bit off right before he flung me around to his back as the first of them came barreling out of the wood.

Cassius drew his sword and dagger.

I took up my staff in both hands.

Cassius assumed a battle stance as the first got close and the second came at us from the side.

Zees.

Damn it.

When there was one, there was not two.

There were twenty.

I started to make a slow turn and heard Cassius’s sword meet another sword as I saw three more rush into the clearing.

They did not all attack me, as was their way. They rarely meant harm, their intent was to intimidate and subdue.

Therefore, it was only one who approached as the others held check.

Steel clanged against steel at my back and I stepped away from Cassius, crouched low, swung around with my staff extended, and took the one charging me off his feet.

I then righted myself, twirled, lunging and thrusting, once, twice, three times, as a second Zee had come forward, I was fighting him, and he blocked each thrust, doing this grinning at me.

I swung my staff around, caught him at the arse, and when he came up to the balls of his feet, I scraped it down, hooking it at his bent knees and hauling up with great force, taking him head over feet to land on his belly in the leaves.

I swirled my staff in front of me as I faced off against the next one who was hunkered and shuffling side to side before me.

“You’re surrounded, do not fight!” was shouted from the trees.

“I am Nadirii!” I yelled. “Retreat or you’ll face my magic.”

At that, a berry red light illuminated the glade.

I looked over my shoulder and saw the streak coming from the wood and shooting toward Cassius.

A Cassius, by the by, who was battling three Zees with dagger and sword.

Apparently, they felt it would take more to subdue him, or precisely, assure he didn’t harm one of them while they were doing it.

But I could not have a mind to that. The streak was coming so fast, I had barely enough time to throw up a shield in front of him on which the streak erupted into a burst of berry and garnet sparks.

Fabulous.

These were Zees with magic.

“You cannot best Nadirii craft,” I yelled, forced to engage with the next one who’d scabbarded his sword and was coming at me with a staff.

Fair of him.

I had only the time to think that thought before several streaks of red charged our way.